‘Heated Rivalry’: Meet Hudson Williams & Connor Storrie, the Stars of Crave’s Gay Hockey Romance
What To Know
- Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as rival hockey players who fall in love.
- The series has given both actors their breakout roles.
- The show’s first two episodes premiered on November 28.
It’s official: Heated Rivalry is the hottest show on TV! Now that the first two episodes are out, it’s time to study up not only on the book the show is based on, but also on the actors bringing the characters to life.
Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams play Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey. A fling during their rookie season turns into a secret, years-long romance. As their feelings for each other grow, the rest of the world still thinks of them as rivals.
With Heated Rivalry being the actors’ first major leading roles, you might be curious about Storrie and Williams’ backgrounds. There isn’t much information out there about the actors just yet, so we’ve done the deep dive for you. Keep reading for everything we know about the breakout stars.
Who are the actors playing Shane and Ilya in Heated Rivalry?
You already know by now that Storrie is playing Ilya and Williams is playing Shane (aka Hollanov), but let’s break down their characters based on what we know from the book.
Ilya is a Russian hockey star who enters the draft the same year that Shane does, though they first meet during the World Junior Championships when they’re 17. Once he joins Boston Raiders, the effortlessly cool Ilya becomes known for his playboy lifestyle, though he has plenty of hidden depth. He has a difficult family situation and a traumatic past. (Don’t worry, we won’t spoil it.)
Though they’re involved in the same sport, Shane couldn’t be more different from Ilya. Shy and anxiety-ridden, the Canadian is all business when it comes to hockey, which is the most important thing in his life. (Until Ilya comes along, that is.) The fiercely competitive Shane rises the ranks quickly, becoming the captain of the Montreal team.
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“It’s really crazy,” Williams said in an interview with the fanpage @heatedrivalrycentral. “Me and Connor, I remember seeing all the posts and the fan bases and we just kept looking at everything and seeing the amount of likes and views from all over the world it was getting. That was…you can’t even wrap your head around it. I think we just want to do an amazing job.”
What have Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie been in before?
The Crave series might be their first major lead roles, but the actors are no stranger to their craft. Storrie is best known for Joker: Folie à Deux, in which he appears as the inmate who kills Joaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck. “I just couldn’t believe I was there and what I was doing,” he told TMZ. “It was so under wraps. I didn’t know anything else about the movie except that part in it. They were very serious. I didn’t say anything to anyone for two years.”
Other than that, Storrie has about a dozen credits under his belt, including an episode of Tiny Beautiful Things and the LGBTQ+ coming-of-age film Riley. His latest project, sci-fi thriller April X, recently came out. “Missing Romania and the family I found there a little too much,” he wrote on Instagram. In an interview with @heatedrivalryupdates about the movie, he explained that it was the first project where he felt like an adult.
In Williams’ case, he had a role in an episode of CBC’s Allegiance and CBS’ Tracker, as well as Hallmark’s All I Need for Christmas. During his interview with @heatedrivalrycentral, the actor revealed that he’s joined the cast of The Altruists, an upcoming Netflix drama starring Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle. Williams has also acted in and directed a number of short films.
How old are Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie?
Thanks to @heatedrivalryupdates, we know for sure that Storrie is 25 years old. Williams is almost exactly a year younger than his costar.
Where are Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie from?
Don’t let Ilya’s impeccable Russian accent fool you: Storrie hails from West Texas, which he revealed in a Heated Rivalry promo video. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Williams, on the flip side, is actually Canadian like his character. He revealed in that fan interview that he grew up Kamloops, British Columbia, and he lives in Vancouver now, which is also where he went to school. He attended a year-long film program at Langara College in 2020, per @heatedrivalrycentral.
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Do Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie play hockey?
It seems that hockey skills weren’t a requirement for Shane and Ilya’s roles. “I told the show I couldn’t skate,” Williams told ETalk in a joint interview with Storrie. “I looked like Bambi when I first started and then eventually got to a place where some of the hockey guys said, ‘You look like a hockey player waist up.'”
What do you think of Williams and Storrie’s performances so far? Tell us in the comments below!
Heated Rivalry, Season 1, Fridays, Crave & HBO Max
